False Witnesses to Forefront, Oil in Trillions
Mariam Ali
The Lebanese anthem part of "we're all to the country, we're all to work" prevails the political scene as the new government moves in quick steps towards reform in the administrative level ahead of the country's other domains.
The government's convention got completed and the train of work doesn't stop at a station but to declare the movement towards another site of launching work.
Govt's Session: Appointments, Ministers Complete
The Lebanese government appointed Monday Brig. Abbas Ibrahim as new director general of General Security, while Lebanese President Michel Suleiman issued a decree naming Marwan Kheireddine as state minister.
The newly appointed State Minister attended the government's session that completed a basket of appointments.
After being promoted to the rank of Major General, Ibrahim was appointed parallel to acting General Security chief Brig.-Gen. Raymond Khattar who was appointed as a Generarl Director of the Civil Defense Department.
The government's 2nd session and the first held at the Grand Serail under Prime Minister Najib Mikati witnessed a consensus on all proposed items.
Information Minister Walid al-Daouq quoted Mikati as saying that "the approved appointments as well as those that will be approved in the future do not represent a victory for one camp and a loss for another."
During the session, Mikati urged ministers to prioritize the needs and the demands of the Lebanese, to be in direct contact with people, and to be ready to provide effective services.
"It is vital to open the doors of the ministry offices for people's petitions and it is also important that those offices be under the supervision of the minister himself so that every person in need of a procedure would trust that it would be handled by the minister," Mikati was quoted as saying.
PM also praised the positive signs that he said the country's economy has shown recently.
Mikati revealed that there has been an increase in the number of tourists entering Lebanon through airport and a relative increase in hotel reservations in the country by tourists flocking from the Gulf and other parts of the world.
Commenting on "March 14" statements, which said that the formation of the government would result in negative economic repercussions, Mikati described them as baseless political talk that lacks scientific evidence.
Meanwhile, both Speaker Nabih Berri and Mikati swiftly endorsed Suleiman's call
for national dialogue to end the political schism that is threatening Lebanon's stability.
"I am responsive to any call for dialogue under any formula. I am already an advocate of dialogue. I am ready to participate in dialogue even if it is held on a street sidewalk," Berri said in an interview with the Lebanese newspaper "al-Joumhouria".
Stressing that the convening of dialogue at this stage is in the country's best interest, Berri added that Suleiman will outline the formula for the proposed dialogue after consulting with the country's top leaders.
For his part, Mikati urged the feuding parties to accept Suleiman's call for dialogue, emphasizing that it is the only solution to prevent sectarian violence.
"We have no choice but dialogue amid the current divisions. There is an attempt by his Excellency the President to revive the dialogue table. I see that all the concerned leaders must participate in it because we have no other choice than dialogue," Mikati said during a meeting with a delegation from the Lebanese Journalists' Union.
Praising Berri's support for president's national dialogue call, Mikati said that "we
must meet and talk in order to avoid problems erupting in the street," he said.
PM called that a defense strategy to protect Lebanon against a possible "Israeli" attack should be discussed.
CNN: More Warrants to Be Issued
In an interview with CNN, Mikati stressed that " all the officials and officers
related to the Special Tribunal of Lebanon issue, are doing their job perfectly as I understand, as all reports coming to me, we are doing this in full manner."
Answering a question about those who doubt the government's intention to arrest the STL wanted men, Mikati wondered "if they are still in Lebanon," reiterating that the government is doing its best.
Mikati rejected the accusation that Hizbullah was "impeding" government's cooperation with the ST L.
CNN quoted U.N. sources as saying that another batch of arrest warrants in the Hariri murder will be issued during the summer and that they include the names of the so-called suspects involved in planning and organizing the assassination.
The PM noted that he'll fully do everything that is in Lebanon's interest: "My role is to protect Lebanon. I don't have to do anything with what's happening in Syria," he remarked hoping that President (Bashar) al-Assad can do the reform himself.
False Witnesses to Forefront
"An -Nahar" newspaper uncovered that "the government is planning to
bring back
to the discussion table the issue of false witnesses."
"PM Mikati discussed the issue with Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi on the sidelines of the government session held at the Grand Serail a day earlier," "an-Nahar" said.
Meanwhile, Mikati received a letter from his French counterpart Francois Fillon in
which the latter congratulated him for forming the government.
"Let me extend to you my warmest congratulations and wishes of success after you formed the new Lebanese governmrent," the French official said in his letter.
Fillon conveyed France's full support of Lebanon's respect of its international obligations as stipulated in the government's policy statement.
"Lebanon's respect of its international commitments and U.N. resolutions is a necessary matter for all your partners," he said.
Oil in Trillions
In a parallel context, Berri recalled data that indicate the presence of a Southern field in the bottom of our territorial waters that includes huge quantities of oil measured as trillions.
House speaker revealed to "as-Safir" Lebanese daily that the Foreign Ministry informed the global exploration companies of the dispute with "Israel" over the maritime border, so that these companies which are keen to work in stable environment do not start work.
Berri noted that Mikati's government performance on this issue is very different in its vitality and effectiveness from the previous government.
Source: Lebanese Newspapers
The Lebanese anthem part of "we're all to the country, we're all to work" prevails the political scene as the new government moves in quick steps towards reform in the administrative level ahead of the country's other domains.
The government's convention got completed and the train of work doesn't stop at a station but to declare the movement towards another site of launching work.
Govt's Session: Appointments, Ministers Complete
The Lebanese government appointed Monday Brig. Abbas Ibrahim as new director general of General Security, while Lebanese President Michel Suleiman issued a decree naming Marwan Kheireddine as state minister.
The newly appointed State Minister attended the government's session that completed a basket of appointments.
After being promoted to the rank of Major General, Ibrahim was appointed parallel to acting General Security chief Brig.-Gen. Raymond Khattar who was appointed as a Generarl Director of the Civil Defense Department.
The government's 2nd session and the first held at the Grand Serail under Prime Minister Najib Mikati witnessed a consensus on all proposed items.
Information Minister Walid al-Daouq quoted Mikati as saying that "the approved appointments as well as those that will be approved in the future do not represent a victory for one camp and a loss for another."
During the session, Mikati urged ministers to prioritize the needs and the demands of the Lebanese, to be in direct contact with people, and to be ready to provide effective services.
"It is vital to open the doors of the ministry offices for people's petitions and it is also important that those offices be under the supervision of the minister himself so that every person in need of a procedure would trust that it would be handled by the minister," Mikati was quoted as saying.
PM also praised the positive signs that he said the country's economy has shown recently.
Mikati revealed that there has been an increase in the number of tourists entering Lebanon through airport and a relative increase in hotel reservations in the country by tourists flocking from the Gulf and other parts of the world.
Commenting on "March 14" statements, which said that the formation of the government would result in negative economic repercussions, Mikati described them as baseless political talk that lacks scientific evidence.
Meanwhile, both Speaker Nabih Berri and Mikati swiftly endorsed Suleiman's call
for national dialogue to end the political schism that is threatening Lebanon's stability.
"I am responsive to any call for dialogue under any formula. I am already an advocate of dialogue. I am ready to participate in dialogue even if it is held on a street sidewalk," Berri said in an interview with the Lebanese newspaper "al-Joumhouria".
Stressing that the convening of dialogue at this stage is in the country's best interest, Berri added that Suleiman will outline the formula for the proposed dialogue after consulting with the country's top leaders.
For his part, Mikati urged the feuding parties to accept Suleiman's call for dialogue, emphasizing that it is the only solution to prevent sectarian violence.
"We have no choice but dialogue amid the current divisions. There is an attempt by his Excellency the President to revive the dialogue table. I see that all the concerned leaders must participate in it because we have no other choice than dialogue," Mikati said during a meeting with a delegation from the Lebanese Journalists' Union.
Praising Berri's support for president's national dialogue call, Mikati said that "we
must meet and talk in order to avoid problems erupting in the street," he said.
PM called that a defense strategy to protect Lebanon against a possible "Israeli" attack should be discussed.
CNN: More Warrants to Be Issued
In an interview with CNN, Mikati stressed that " all the officials and officers
related to the Special Tribunal of Lebanon issue, are doing their job perfectly as I understand, as all reports coming to me, we are doing this in full manner."
Answering a question about those who doubt the government's intention to arrest the STL wanted men, Mikati wondered "if they are still in Lebanon," reiterating that the government is doing its best.
Mikati rejected the accusation that Hizbullah was "impeding" government's cooperation with the ST L.
CNN quoted U.N. sources as saying that another batch of arrest warrants in the Hariri murder will be issued during the summer and that they include the names of the so-called suspects involved in planning and organizing the assassination.
The PM noted that he'll fully do everything that is in Lebanon's interest: "My role is to protect Lebanon. I don't have to do anything with what's happening in Syria," he remarked hoping that President (Bashar) al-Assad can do the reform himself.
False Witnesses to Forefront
"An -Nahar" newspaper uncovered that "the government is planning to
bring back
to the discussion table the issue of false witnesses."
"PM Mikati discussed the issue with Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi on the sidelines of the government session held at the Grand Serail a day earlier," "an-Nahar" said.
Meanwhile, Mikati received a letter from his French counterpart Francois Fillon in
which the latter congratulated him for forming the government.
"Let me extend to you my warmest congratulations and wishes of success after you formed the new Lebanese governmrent," the French official said in his letter.
Fillon conveyed France's full support of Lebanon's respect of its international obligations as stipulated in the government's policy statement.
"Lebanon's respect of its international commitments and U.N. resolutions is a necessary matter for all your partners," he said.
Oil in Trillions
In a parallel context, Berri recalled data that indicate the presence of a Southern field in the bottom of our territorial waters that includes huge quantities of oil measured as trillions.
House speaker revealed to "as-Safir" Lebanese daily that the Foreign Ministry informed the global exploration companies of the dispute with "Israel" over the maritime border, so that these companies which are keen to work in stable environment do not start work.
Berri noted that Mikati's government performance on this issue is very different in its vitality and effectiveness from the previous government.
Source: Lebanese Newspapers
